Fri, 07.12.2018

3:00 pm

Collection

The collection of the Vitra Design Museum ranks among the most important holdings of furniture design worldwide. It contains some 7000 pieces of furniture, a vast assemblage of lighting objects and numerous archives, as well as the Collection of the Eames Office, or the estates of Verner Panton and Alexander Girard. On 4 June 2016 the Vitra Schaudepot was opened, created by the architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron, in which the Vitra Design Museum presents key pieces of its collection.

Opening hours

Tickets

Talks

Seats of Power – And Those Who Sit on ThemOPENING TALK (DE) | 18 October 20186:30 pm, Vitra Schaudepot

From the thrones of antiquity to modern office seating, chairs have served as symbols of power and success since ancient times. In the panel discussion marking the opening of the »Seats of Power« exhibition at the Vitra Schaudepot, Mateo Kries, director of the Vitra Design Museum talks with designer Robert Stadler and photographer Herlinde Koelbl about the cultural history of chairs as well as the aspects of authority, representation, status, and politics they reflect.Free admission

The Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma examines various raw materials and investigates modern production processes and rare trades. To mark her exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum Gallery, Meindertsma offers insights into her own design work and provides visitors with a behind-the-scenes look at her impressive body of research.Free admission

More information on the exhibition »Christien Meindertsma:Beyond the Surface« here

The 1960s and early 1970s weren’t just the era of hippies and student revolt. It was also a time when the role of design was critically reassessed and its political and social purpose redefined. While designers like Victor Papanek called for a holistic view of design, initiatives such as the Italian group »Global Tools« propagated more radical and experimental approaches. In her talk, Alison J. Clarke, co-curator of the »Victor Papanek« exhibition, examines the era’s tendencies and protagonists and reflects on their continued relevance today.Free admission

Famous designers and architects are always men, and on the shelves of Western shops we find angled black products of steel for men and small, soft, and rounded items for women. For years the design expert Uta Brandes has investigated the theoretical and practical significance of gender in design. In her talk she discusses how gender should play a fundamental role in the design process and presents examples of design projects.Free admission

More information on the exhibition »Victor Papanek:The Politics of Design« here